Pages

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Attacks on Churches and Mob Violence in Lahore

TRANSCENDING THE US VERSUS THEM PARADIGM

Maryam Sakeenah

My parents chose to
send me to a Christian missionary school- a decision I have always been
grateful to them for. The Convent’s ‘Character Building’ programme instilled in
me values which, owing to the essential kinship of the Abrahamic faiths,
facilitated my appreciation and practice of my own faith as a Muslim later in
life.

Incidentally, all serving staff in my household happen to
be Christians. In Ramazan they prepare the Iftar, and at Christmas and Easter we
give them an extra something to partake of the family festivity. Through all my
extensive and longstanding interaction with Christian friends, colleagues,
subordinates, there is no unpleasant or uncomfortable memory I have. And I know
I am no exception.

In fact, when I condoled with my Christian domestic help
about the unfortunate recent events targeting churches in Lahore, I sensed in
their comments the same sentiment I have gleaned from my experience as a
Pakistani Muslim. ‘We have been brothers
and sisters living together for decades- there was never a problem. And now some
unknown enemies wanting this country’s destruction want to create hate. We have
nothing against each other- Muslims too are under attack from the same people.
We need to be together’, said my illiterate Christian kitchen helper- (translation my own).

There was an understanding even within these unlettered members
of a less privileged minority community that something had gone wrong in recent
years; that violent religious hate was not the ethos of this land; and that
there was a common enemy out there whose triumph was in sowing discord and hate
between the two communities.

And yet ironically I find a complete absence of this simple
understanding in the opinions of vociferous social media commentators both from
the secular-liberal and conservative perspectives. In fact, the polarity in
their views is striking whenever I browse through my newsfeed. While sadness
over the attack on the churches was palpable among all shades of opinion, there
was a callous lack of sympathy for the innocent Muslim victims of the
post-bombing mob-lynching by Christians, and a brazen attempt to paint the
ensuing violence by Christian mobsters as ‘but natural.’ This
selective sympathy shows our own deeply rooted prejudices.On the other extreme there are
outrageous calls for indiscriminate reprisal against the Christian community of
Youhannabad where the lynchings happened.

The problem with the narrative that emerges from these
polarized, clashing perspectives is that it sees the recent events through the
blood-stained lens of ‘Us versus Them’; as a ‘Christian versus Muslim’ issue
which is both inaccurate as well as dangerous. In fact, the terrible mob
violence that occurred in the wake of the church bombing was also a tragic
result of dangerously viewing the attack on the church as ‘Muslim’ violence
against ‘Christian’ victims. More accurately, it was violence by an extremist
militant minority group for whom all who do not share their violent ideology
are potential targets. This is why the
anger was directed at Muslims who had been engaged in routine business in the
Christian locality. The two innocents picked for the barbaric lynching were
lighter skinned (a characteristic of the Pashtuns) and at least one of them
bearded. The mob violence was hence fired by ethno-religious stereotyping and
the blind hate born of such prejudices.

In response to the ensuing violence by the Youhannabad
locals there is brewing anger amidst neighbouring Muslim communities which sets
the stage for potential clashes waiting in the wing. In the climate of fear and
anger many families in Youhannabad are planning to relocate or have done so
already. This is the triumph of the real enemy as it fulfils the malevolent
agenda perfectly. The victory of the enemy is when its victim turns into a
savage perpetrator like itself, continuing the cycle of violence.

Violent incidents targeting the Christian community in
Pakistan in the recent past certainly fuel the anger by creating genuine and
understandable grievances. However, it has to be understood that such targeting
of the Christian community has always been resented and rejected by the
overwhelming majority of the Muslim population of this country; and that the
extremists involved in terror attacks on Christians are a fringe element
rejected by the mainstream public opinion. Terrorist outfits are all out to
exact vengeance that spares none- mosque, imambargah, church- Muslim,
Christian, Shiite- all are fellow sufferers in this great calamity that has
gripped us as the terrible cost of owning the US’s Great War on Terror.

The Christian community of Pakistan never has been, is not
and should never be an oppressed minority hated and targeted by Pakistan’s
Muslim majority. Those trying to reinforce this idea- whether extreme
rightwingers, conservatives or the secular liberals- are utterly wrong. This is
a false picture that will fuel more rage and blind hate.

What is required in the wake of this frenzied violence is a
communal introspection by both communities. The Christian community needs to
examine why its young members descended into such rank savagery, and must take
responsibility to curtail simmering violence that utterly betrays the Christian
spirit of forbearance and compassion. The Muslim community must also engage in
a serious endeavour to root out the ire and vengeful streak building up in its
ranks in this charged atmosphere.

The pulpit
and the minbar both must take up
their vital roles to defeat this false ‘Us versus Them’ narrative. Both
religions contain voluminous and powerful content on tolerance and compassion which
needs to resonate to drown this madness in the name of faith. Faith must be the
healing, the mending and the force inspiring peacemaking. The Quran questions
the validity of a faith that justifies and inspires evil. "Say: "Worst indeed is that
which your faith enjoins on you- if you indeed are believers."
(2:93) It reminds
us with a vital message that has never been as relevant as it is today. “Let not the
enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to
piety... Verily, Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” (5:8)

In the midst of this senseless melee of wrathful hate, the
words of Islam’s blessed Prophet (PBUH) for his Christian citizenry from Najran
become a beautiful encore played to a deaf audience.

"This is a message from [Prophet] Muhammad ibn Abdullah,
as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my
followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold
out against anything that displeases them.No compulsion [in religion] is to be on them.Neither are their judges to be removed from
their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to
damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil
God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my
secure charter against all that they hate......Their Churches are to be respected. They are
neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their
covenants.No one of the nation (of Muslims) is to disobey
this covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."(Text of the Charter of
Privileges, Treaty of Najran)